The Internal Revenue Service is apologizing for inappropriately flagging conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.

Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS unit that oversees tax-exempt groups, said organizations that included the words “tea party” or “patriot” in their applications for tax-exempt status were singled out for additional reviews.

Lerner said the practice, initiated by low-level workers in Cincinnati, was wrong and she apologized while speaking at a conference in Washington.

Tea Party chapters around the nation are blasting the Internal Revenue Service after the federal agency sent them letters demanding information about their politics, contributors and even family members.

In letters sent from IRS offices in Cincinnati earlier this month, chapters including the Waco (Texas) Tea Party and the Ohio Liberty Council were asked to provide a list of donors, identify volunteers, financial support for and relationships with political candidates and parties, and even printed copies of their Facebook pages…

Tea Party leaders say they were particularly offended by demands that they name donors and volunteers, which is required by law, but were also asked to list any political ambitions of board members or their relatives.

News of the harassment made it all the way up to Congress last spring — and yet only now, months after the election, are we finally hearing the IRS come clean. Go figure.

Remember, to this day, the left-wing Democratic water-carrying hacks known as Media Matters remain fully tax-exempt. Congressional hearings about this are now a fait accompli; what I want to know is who’s getting fired in the meantime. Obviously house will be cleaned at the Cincinnati branch. What about Lerner herself?

Stand by for updates.

Update: I want to know why the word “patriot” in particular triggered some sort of extra scrutiny.

Oh By the way You should all be replaced, or given the new Obummer Neo NAzi Uniform so we know what to look for!
I just wonder how many had to pay more for accountants and tax specialist because of your tampering! And By the way the American Taxpayer pays your salary not Obummer or the DNC!

“IRS APOLOGIZES FOR TARGETING CONSERVATIVE GROUPS” is a headline for low-info voters; the editors know that they won’t read it. A headline that MIGHT get LIVs’ attention would read, “HEADS ROLL AT IRS,” but that’s not going to happen. Nothing to see here - move along...

Update: I want to know why the word patriot in particular triggered some sort of extra scrutiny.

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who that is a sincere friend to it can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric? - Washington's Farewell Address 1796

27
posted on 05/10/2013 3:41:07 PM PDT
by conservatism_IS_compassion
(Liberalism is a conspiracy against the public by wire-service journalism.)

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